HARDSUIT
LAB
barely touched upon. Schwarzer
states that Hardsuit labs “set out to
provide as many active unlocks as
possible during your progression
system” while the developers point
out there will be extensive
customisation options that let you
enrobe your vampire however you
like. Plus, there’s the new Resonance
system, which gives each NPC’s
blood a different ‘flavour’ based on
their emotional state. Feeding from
someone who is angry, for example,
will provide a short-term melee
damage buff, while repeatedly
feeding on angry people will let you
unlock a permanent passive bonus.
At this point, it’s worth repeating
the ambition of the original Bloodlines
was as much a curse as it was a
blessing. Since Bloodlines 2 aims to
take those ideas even further, it’s
natural for any excitement to be
mingled with a little apprehension.
But there are some key differences
between the two projects. Bloodlines 1
was launched on an experimental
engine the developers were grappling
with for thefirsttime,whereas
Hardsuit Labs has plenty of
experience working with Unreal 4.
In addition, everyone on the team is
keenly aware of the mistakes
Bloodlines made. “Identifying what
worked well in the first one and then
what didn’t, and either addressing
those or avoiding those, was
definitely a key part of that
approach,” Kipling observes.SINK YOUR TEETH IN
Lastly, there’s the publisher.
Bloodlines 2 represents a watershed
moment in Paradox’s history. It’s a
follow-up to one of PC-gaming’s
most treasured cult classics, and a
big-budget production in a genre that
isn’t the company’s standard fare.
Ebba Ljungerud, Paradox CEO, sums
up Bloodlines 2’s significance to the
company. “There is so much love for
Bloodlines 1. So there’s an enormous
amount of excitement of just doing
something in this world,” she says.
“But it has to be really great, because
otherwise it’s never going to fly.”Bloodlines 2
COVER FEATURE
ABOVE: Melee
combat looks
much improved.
RIGHT: Seattle’s
iconic Pier 57.EXPLORE BLOODLINES ORGANICALLY